onepieceyaoi100 | Drabble Flood, 5/10

Title: Abandonment
Theme: Nightmares
Pair: Usopp/Chopper nakama-ship
Word count: 318
Rating: PG

Usopp woke up, certain he'd heard a noise. Looking around cautiously, he heard it again. It sounded like a little whimper. Getting out of his hammock, he softly padded over to the couch, where Chopper was moving around fitfully in his sleep. Kneeling down, he shook his crewmate carefully. "Chopper? Chopper, wake up."

The little reindeer let out a final little frightful squeak, sitting up and looking around. "Oh... oh, Usopp..." He gave the older boy a relieved smile.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Chopper nodded.

"Wanna talk about it?"

After a moment's contemplation, the reindeer nodded. "I... I dreamed I was on an island, and you were all on little boats--they looked like the _Going Merry_, but little, you know...? And... and the island was, was sinking... And I called out to you, but none of you could hear me and... and..." Chopper covered his face with his hooves, sobbing quietly.

Quickly sitting up on the couch next to his friend, Usopp put his arm around him. "Oh, Chopper... you know we'd never leave you like that!"

"I know..." he turned, resting his head on Usopp's chest. He sat back, looking up at his older crewmate. "I wish I could be brave like you... I'll bet you never have nightmares, huh?"

Usopp straightened up. "That's right! I'm the brave Captain Usopp and I-" He looked down at the little reindeer. Letting out a sigh, he deflated a bit.

"Actually... I have them too. My father left to be a pirate when I was little, and then my mom died. I had some nightmares like yours right after she died.

"About a week after she died, I dreamed that she got onto the ship my dad and they left me... it was..."

"Lonely...?"

"Yeah..."

The two crewmates looked at each other sympathetically. Chopper patted the couch. "Wanna sleep here with me?"

"Sure, I'd love to," said Usopp.